Monday, September 26, 2011

9/11 A Day We Will Never Forget

Do you remember where you were when the first plane struck? Because I don't. I was probably soon going home, after a regular Tuesday at primary school. I was only 6 years old, and to be honest I don't remember much about this horrible attack when it happened. With this being the worst and biggest terrorist attack the world has ever seen, I have obviously learned and heard a lot about it since the day it happened. 

Last class we watched the "accidental documentary" called 9/11- the Filmmakers' Commemorative Edition", which was supposed to be a film about fire fighter Tony Benetatos,  a newly hired fire-fighter at a firestation in New York. Little did they know that their camera would be the only one to capture the first plane flying into Tower 1, and that this clip would be seen all over the world. 

Searching the net about this terrorist attack, I still can't believe it actually happened. The documentary we watched showed no gruesome scenes, and of that, I'm glad. The camera follows the firefighters as they helplessly try to save as many lives as possible, while risking their own. You could hear the screams, the crash of the second plane hitting Tower 2, and last but not least; the sounds of people hitting the ground. You knew that these people had thought through their options, and decided to jump to their deaths, rather than being burned alive. As many as 200 hundred people fell from the sky that day. 

How can someone be so cruel? How can someone take so many lives? I can't imagine what it must have been like to be trapped in one of the towers, and I can't imagine what it would be like to know that your loved one is in there. That morning, the world froze. The feeling I have about this, is the same feeling I have about what happened at Utøya. It's just not possible to accept the fact that it happened.

"The Falling Man"
What made the biggest impression on me, were definitely the sounds.  It was really awful, but my curiosity about the falling people led me to a short documentary on YouTube, called "The falling man". In this documentary, the attacks are described from regular New-Yorkers side, and several journalists'. One photographer, Richard Drew, captures a photo of a man falling from one of the towers. It really hits you. This photo can be described in so many words;  sad, terrifying, touching, awful, and shocking. You think: Who is this man? They tried to identify him, but it was not possible.

The photo gives the impression that the man is falling straight down, but a series of photos taken of him show that he was tumbling through the air. The picture is so strong, and peaceful in a way. It alone gives a true sense of the horror that day, the day we will never forget.






1 comment:

  1. I am so impressed! You are an amazing writer, I have to say. You are able to write long, but extremely interesting blog posts. I love that you have picked up on so many details, like the name of the documentary, Tonys full name, and how you are able to write so personal, but still so professional. I definitively enjoy reading all your writing.

    Please, keep it up, I think it is amazing!

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